Shade Garden Updates

Although the bright morning sun has washed out the detail of the these white 'Candidum' Caladiums, in person they are stunning. As a bonus, they were planted last spring and have graced us with a second year of beauty. I think this little vignette has all the layers needed for interest. The trees overhead aren't visible in this shot but their canopy offers a nice "frame" for the scene. The shrubs, Firebush, Hamelia patens, are a serene backdrop for the statuary and annual plantings in the tiny circular bed. Around the time the caladiums melt in our summer heat, the Firebush grab the attention with their red and orange blooms. They love, love, love our heat!


I am excited to see that all the Yaupon Hollies, Ilex vomitoria, have bloomed heavily this spring. Planted in 2005, they are yet to produce one single red berry! Yaupon Hollies are dioecious, which means some bloom with male flowers and some bloom with female flowers. In other words, you need a male and a female in order to get berries. However, these were labeled 'Pride of Houston', which are supposed to be self-pollinating. One nurseryman, Al, suggested that I plant more Yaupons (I already have 5) - of any variety. So just upwind of these, there is now a border of 7 or 9 Dwarf Yaupons.

In the meantime, I am checking the plants for berries- and have found a few very tiny green ones where the flowers were. I'm holding my breath, but I have hope for red berries at Christmas time!

This is my "Lasagna Garden Bed" one year later. Even though it is the middle of the "Shade Garden", there is ample afternoon sun to grow a healthy crop of Cosmos. The bed is bordered with Dusty Miller, Senecio cenerario, which was planted last August. A couple of the plants didnt' survive the winter and their replacements haven't filled back in yet. Plus, I trimmed them all back by about 1/2 in April. Don't you love their silver color? Such a nice contrast to everything else. The everything else (whether you can see it or not) includes Cat's Whiskers, Orthosiphon aristatussome, some fat-fronded Ferns, and Coleus. All the hummingbirds are hanging out on this side of the house this year. I haven't come up with a plan for this area yet - so these free and nearly free items are serving me well.

Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

Bamboo Reeds, 2008
Through the end of May, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona is home to Chihuly: The Nature of Glass. These amazing glass scultures are the creation of Dale Chihuly. His exhibits have been installed in other botanical gardens in the past - but I can't imagine them being showcased any better than they are in this desert setting.

Many of the cacti and succulents are full of buds. I can only imagine how gloriously colorful this garden will be in a couple of weeks.

This piece is entitled Float Boat. . . . and I think it would look mah-va-lous in my shade garden . . . .

Blue Reeds, Marlins, and Floats, 2008.

In the center, spot the Marlin. Isn't that amazing?

In keeping with the blue theme, the Texas Mountain Laurel were in full bloom - and smelling heavenly (well, heavenly if you are a lover of Grape Pop). Bees and butterflies enjoyed these flowers as much as us mammalian garden visitors.

Chihuly also installed a few pieces in this pond. It's entitled Blue Polyvitro Crystals. They aren't make out of glass, but a plastic material that Dale calls "polyvitro".

Tucked into the shade garden was this water feature. The water dripping from the tank to the pond made a melodious sound. It also attracted doves and quail. We took a long respit on the bench here while waiting for the sun to set and the glass displays to be lit.

If you were to arrive at the garden after dark, you would be greeted by these Desert Wildflower Towers. They were attractive in the sunlight and breathtaking after dark.

The large orb among these Ferns is The Sun.

I thought that Saffron Tower was the highlight of the nighttime display. You could see it from almost anywhere in the garden - and the roads surrounding the Desert Botanical Garden.

This is only a taste of Chihuly's display - His chandeliers are incredible (but my photos of them were not)